A review of "First Position" by Charlotte Skeoch for The Huffington Post UK.

The competition element of the documentary does lend a frustratingly low-brow tone, as though Werner Herzog has somehow been duped into making a featurette for the Xtra Factor, but there's no denying that the will-they, won't-they final stages are sensationally thrilling, even if you have zero interest in the quality of the dancer's jetés. It does raise some questions about the nature of competitive dance: some of the young talent approach their art form like a technical exercise, eschewing artistry, emotion and subtlety for results-driven acrobatics - a subject which Kargman never pursues. Perhaps that's just another documentary for another day.

Born in Budapest, von Gencsy immigrated to Canada in 1948 after dancing in her native Hungary and in Austria. She performed with the fledgling Winnipeg Ballet (later Royal Winnipeg Ballet) for five years, attracting new audiences to ballet with her interpretations of classical and modern roles. In 1953, she moved to Montreal to join Les Ballets Chiriaeff, which later became Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. Here again, her strong personality drew attention both on stage and in frequent television appearances.